Technology Slice Blog

Cartoon Characters On Facebook - Popular characters from the animated world are invading Facebook. Like the last celebrity doppelganger craze, members of the massive social networking site are replacing their profile pictures with images from their favorite childhood cartoons. "Change your profile picture to your favorite cartoon from when you were a kid," it says on the note that is being passed around between friends. "The goal of this game is not to see a human picture on Facebook, but an invasion of childhood memories until Monday. PLAY AND PASS ALONG!" Based on trending Google searches on Friday, the new practice is picking up ground. Popular search terms include "cartoon characters from the 80s," "Rainbow Brite," "Smurfs," "Ren and Stimpy," "Rugrats, " and "Doug." According to the note, the new Facebook meme has a charitable purpose. "From now until December 7, change your profile pict...

Firebreather Animated Movie - For nearly three decades, Peter Chung has been a name in 2D animation, with such titles as “C.O.P.S.” and MTV’s “Aeon Flux” series. Now, he’s joining the 3D ranks, directing Cartoon Network’s first CGI movie, “Firebreather,” which premieres Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET/PT. “Firebreather,” based on the comic book series by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, is the story of a teenager named Duncan whose mother is human and whose father is Belloc, a 120-foot fire-breathing monster king. Hero Complex writer Noelene Clark caught up with Chung for Five Questions. PC: It’s funny, because it’s where I started. A lot of people know me for my work on “Aeon Flux” and think of my work as being targeted for adults, but I started doing stuff for a younger audience. So for me, it’s not strange for me to be doing something like this at all. In this specific instance, I would say, it’s very satisfying now to sit with an audience and watch the movie and just have them respond very spo...

Phil Jasner Dies Age 68 - Phil Jasner, the premier chronicler of that community, as well as one of its most cherished members, died Friday at age 68. A Daily News staff reporter since 1972 and the paper's 76ers beat writer since 1981, Jasner distinguished himself by his generosity and his even-handedness and his persistence most of all. He was an old-fashioned reporter who grew to be the most important basketball voice in a basketball city, known for both his fairness and his decency. "I could tell at the age of 5," said his son, Andy. "He took me to a game with him and people started coming up to him to talk - security guards, everyone. It would go on for years like that, at the old Spectrum, whether it was an usher or Joe Fan in the third row. He was approachable that way. People liked him, and he treated everyone the same. He had time for everybody." The 12th man on the bench got the same attention to detail and the same courtesy from Phil as the star ...

Twilight Eclipse On DVD - Edward, Bella and Jacob are back and coming directly into your home. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse hits stores on Blu-ray and DVD Friday night (12/3) at midnight and that makes us think of three words: Twilight Eclipse Party. There will be midnight DVD screening parties happening all over the country with rabid fans just like you. You want in, right? Good. Use this ZIP CODE FINDER to find a midnight DVD release party near you! Tweet any cool events you find @Twilight, and tag them with #EclipseDVDParty Check with the store to pre-order the DVD or find out what time they're handing out bracelets for buying the DVD. Then get your guest list and party preparations under way. Make your guest list, and keep track of who's Team Edward and who's Team Jacob. Dress up like a character or wear all your Eclipse gear. It's your party, your way. While your at it, make it a double or triple feature with other Twilight films or some other great vampir...

China High Speed Rail - In five years, China built the world’s largest high-speed rail system. They now have 4,000 miles of line between all their crowded cities, and it still isn’t enough to put a dent in traffic…because most people can’t afford the tickets. Megan McArdle writing for the Atlantic argues that politicians, geography, and democracy stand in the way of any meaningful high-speed rail system in the United States. It’s not as crazy as it sounds. For one, the longest distance between the ten most populous cities in China isn’t much longer than a trip from Washington D.C. to Chicago. Our biggest cities are just a lot farther apart, crossing many more states and through a lot more backyards. McArdle argues that lawsuits, politicians, and the Not-In-My-Back-Yard gang would impede progress of a useful high-speed network. She’s probably right. My home state of Connecticut has been battling about a proposed high-speed bus between Hartford and New Britain for years despite the ...

Looney Tunes Cartoon Characters - Large numbers of Facebook users, especially children replace their profile photos with the images of old cartoon characters. The trend seems to have gone viral as a step to prevent child abuse, through hiding real photos and thus the identity. Many a Facebook members are resetting their profiles now. As per statuses message of Facebook members, it looks that they switch from real photos to cartoon images primarily to save themselves from child abuse and to recall their old cartoon memories. Interestingly most of Facebook users place images and graphics of old cartoon characters instead of their photos. It shows that Facebook users largely pick their profile images up from the characters of old cartoon series like Doug, Recess, Rugrats, Animaniacs, Ren and Stimpy, Aaahh!, Real Monsters, Angry Beavers, Rocko’s Modern Life and Strawberry Shortcake. A user suggests his friends to change their profile images on his Facebook status until December 7. “...

Iliza Shlesinger Comedian - The sexy yet also hilarious comedian Iliza Shlesinger. Iliza Shlesinger is an American comedian from Dallas, Texas who is born February 22nd, 1983. She was one of the most popular members of the “Whiteboy Comedy” group of stand-up comedians in Los Angeles which then brought her career to the stage at the Improv in Hollywood. Iliza Shlesinger is also the first female to win Last Comic Standing and was selected twice by other comedians to compete in the head-to-head eliminations which she won it both times. She is also the host of The Weakly News on TheStream.tv. Well, it seems that her life is just getting better and better isn’t it? When you gaze your eyes upon her, you will be amazed that she is definitely not as innocent as you thought she might be. In fact, she will definitely make you laugh. Just don’t you dare for a second to underestimate this one hot chick capability because she is one sexy and slightly neurotic funny girl, she is Iliza Sh...